Elias Lindholm scored at 1:02 of overtime to lift the visiting Vancouver Canucks to a 4-3 win against the Nashville Predators in Game 4 of their first-round series on Sunday.
Lindholm scored from the front of the net off a behind-the-net pass from Conor Garland.
Vancouver leads the best-of-seven series 3-1. Game 5 is Tuesday in Vancouver.
“I got into the O-zone and Garland found me with a nice pass,” Lindholm said. “Scoring one like this, it’s always a nice feeling. We didn’t play our best game, but when we needed a stop (Arturs) Silovs was there.”
Brock Boeser had a hat trick, and Silovs made 27 saves for the Canucks. The 23-year-old goalie made his Stanley Cup playoff debut in place of Casey DeSmith, who did not dress because of an undisclosed injury.
With Silovs pulled for the extra attacker, Boeser connected on a cross-crease pass from Lindholm to cut it to 3-2 at 17:11 of the third period, and he completed the hat trick from the side of the net to tie it 3-3 at 19:52.
“Obviously a great effort by Boeser, three goals … so you’ve got to take the positives, but we’ve got some work to do,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. “We have to get some guys in the fight here a little bit, but it’s a lot easier to teach and prod and get guys going when you’re winning, so hopefully this is going to bring some juice to some guys.”
Mark Jankowski, Gustav Nyquist and Filip Forsberg scored for the Predators. Juuse Saros made 16 saves.
Boeser gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead on its first shot on goal at 2:55 of the first period.
J.T. Miller won the faceoff back to Carson Soucy, who then dished it back to Miller backing through the slot toward the right circle. Miller sent a cross-ice pass over to Boeser alone in the left circle, where he quickly wired a wrist shot that beat a diving Saros short side.
Jankowski tied it 1-1 at 5:34. With the teams at 4-on-4, Jeremy Lauzon took a pass from Alexandre Carrier above the circles and fired a shot that Jankowski tipped in front.
Nyquist put the Predators ahead 2-1 at 5:21 of the second period.
Ryan O’Reilly collected a rebound in the corner of the defensive zone and sent a stretch pass to Nyquist in the neutral zone to create a 2-on-1. Nyquist carried it in with patience, waiting until he was in the right circle before sniping it top shelf short side.
Forsberg made it 3-1 Nashville 12 seconds into the third period. Roman Josi sent the rebound of his own shot down low through the crease to Forsberg on the other side, where he easily deposited it into the net.
It was the fastest goal to start a period in Predators postseason history. It didn’t matter once the Canucks rallied.
“It’s a tough ending,” Josi said. “That doesn’t happen too often. But that’s hockey, right? Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t. We’ve got to forget about this one pretty quick.”
–Field Level Media
